DAMASCUS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army said Monday it has begun operations to secure Shaddadi prison in northeastern Hasakah province after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it had lost control of the facility holding thousands of Islamic State (IS) suspects amid escalating clashes.
The Syrian army said its units will secure the prison and its surrounding areas and carry out sweep operations in the town of Shaddadi and nearby locations to track down detainees it said were "released" during the unrest.
It said the prison and related security facilities will be handed over to the interior authorities once stabilization and clearance operations are completed.
The army said it has contacted mediators and SDF leaders to arrange the handover, but the SDF leadership has so far refused. It also accused the SDF of releasing IS detainees.
Earlier in the day, the SDF said Shaddadi prison had come under repeated attacks by Damascus-affiliated factions, calling the situation extremely dangerous and warning of the risk of a major security collapse.
The SDF said its fighters repelled several assaults but suffered heavy casualties before losing control of the facility.
In separate statements, the SDF said clashes were continuing around other detention facilities in Raqqa province, warning that attempts to seize prisons holding IS detainees could destabilize the region and open the door to renewed militant activity.
The Syrian interim government rejected the SDF's accusations, saying attempts to link state security operations with the risk of IS detainee escapes amount to political pressure and manipulation of the terrorism file.
In a statement carried by state media, the interim government said it warned the SDF against what it described as reckless actions, including facilitating detainee releases or using prisons as leverage, saying any such acts will be treated as war crimes and direct complicity with terrorism.
The incident came amid heightened tensions despite an agreement signed Sunday between the interim government and the SDF that includes a ceasefire, the withdrawal of SDF forces to east of the Euphrates River, and the transfer of key sovereign institutions, including detention facilities, to state control.
Observers have said that the developments around Shaddadi underscore the fragility of the new deal and the deep mistrust between the two sides, with the handling of IS detainees remaining one of the most sensitive and destabilizing issues in northern and eastern Syria. ■
